Aleris Corporation
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryManufacturing
Founded2004 (2004)
Defunct2020
FateAcquired by Novelis
SuccessorNovelis
Headquarters
Beachwood, Ohio
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Sean Stack (CEO)
ProductsAluminum
Number of employees
5,000 (2015)
ParentNovelis
Websitealeris.com

Aleris Corporation (also Aleris Inc. or Aleris International Inc.) was an American aluminum rolled products producer, based in Beachwood, Ohio. The company had approximately 5,000 employees globally as of mid 2015.

On 15 April 2020, Aleris Corporation was acquired by Hindalco Industries subsidiary Novelis Inc. for $2.8 billion. With the deal closure, Hindalco is now one of the world's largest aluminium makers and Novelis' entered into the high-end aerospace segment.[1]

Corporate affairs

Aleris was an aluminum rolled products producer, based in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.[2][3] The privately held company had approximately 5,000 employees overall, as of mid 2015, around 200 of which are based in Northeast Ohio, including a manufacturing facility in Uhrichsville, Ohio.[2][4] Aleris has private equity owners, including Apollo Global and Oaktree Capital Management.[2][5]

Steve Demetriou served as the first chairman and chief executive officer (CEO).[2][4] Sean Stack became CEO and joined the board of directors in mid 2015. Scott Graves became a non-executive chairman of Aleris' board at the same time.[2]

History

Aleris was established in 2004,[2] the result of a merger between an aluminum recycling company and an aluminum rolled products company.[4] Aleris operated as a portfolio company of Texas Pacific Group,[6] and expanded via acquisitions during its early history. The company acquired Corus Group's aluminum extrusion and rolling businesses for approximately $894 million (€700 million) in 2006,[7][8] and Wabash Alloys for an undisclosed amount in 2007.[6] Following the Corus acquisition, Aleris had approximately 8,800 employees and more than 40 manufacturing facilities globally.[8]

In February 2009, the Department of Justice filed suit against the company, alleging that 15 of its plants had violated the Clean Air Act by emission of pollutants. Aleris settled the suit with the government in August 2009, and agreed to pay a $4.6 million fine and spend an additional $4.2 million on new pollution controls at its plants.[9] The financial crisis of 2007–2008 and Great Recession caused significant downturns in production, and Aleris experienced a 40 percent volume decline during 2008–2009.[4]

In 2009, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy,[4] and Apollo, Oaktree Capital, and Sankaty Advisors became owners in 2010.[5][10] Aleris stabilized its financial position and significantly reduced debt. The company also invested in its facilities, building a new aerospace plate mill in China during the early 2010s, finishing a $70 million expansion of its facility in Duffel Belgium (2013),[11] and improving its plant in Ashville, Ohio, in 2014.[4] Aleris acquired Nichols Aluminum and its production facilities in Davenport, Iowa, Decatur, Alabama, and Lincolnshire, Illinois, for $110 million cash in 2014.[12][13] The aluminum finishing plant in Decatur was closed before the end of the year to streamline operations. Aleris had more than 40 production facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia, as of October 2014.[14]

In 2015, the company focused on selling its extrusion and recycling businesses, and planned to raise approximately $600 million in capital. The divestitures decreased the number of employees to around 5,000.[4] Aleris abandoned plans to complete an initial public offering in 2015.[5][15] The company had approximately 7,000 employees in the U.S., Europe, and China at the time, including approximately 340 in Uhrichsville and 250 in Greater Cleveland.[4] Aleris was also among the largest aluminum sheet suppliers for semi-trailers, and the leading aluminum sheet supplier for the U.S. residential construction industry.[4] The company increased production as the automotive industry began using more aluminum than steel.[4][16] Aleris' new aluminum body sheet facility in Lewisport, Kentucky opened in 2017.[17]

China Zhongwang subsidiary Zhongwang USA and Aleris entered into a merger agreement in August 2016, marking the highest offer made by a Chinese firm for an American metal producing company.[18] However, the $2.3 billion ($1.1 billion in cash plus $1.2 billion in debt)[5] agreement was abandoned in November 2017 because of uncertainties around regulations and approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.[19][20][21] Hindalco Industries was working on a $2.5 billion bid to acquire Aleris, as of October 2017,[3] and Vedanta Resources was considering a bid, as of January 2018.[22]

In 2017 and 2018, Aleris entered into multi-year agreements to supply aluminum to Bombardier Inc. and Boeing, respectively.[23][24] Aleris is ranked number 690 on the 2019 Fortune 1000.[25]

In March 2019, Aleris was recognized with the accredited supplier award for outstanding quality performance by Airbus for the second consecutive year.[26]

On 15 April 2020, Aleris Corporation was acquired by Hindalco Industries subsidiary Novelis Inc. for $2.8 billion. With the deal closure, Hindalco is now one of the world's largest aluminium makers and Novelis' entered into the high-end aerospace segment.[1]

Metals

Aleris manufactures a number of different alloys, such as AA7022-T651, a member of the 7000 series of alloys, which contains in addition to aluminum, silicon, iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, chromium, zinc, titanium and zirconium.[27] In its Koblenz facility, which used to be called Corus Aluminium Walzprodukte GmbH, it produces alloy AA5059-H131,[28][29] and for the structural components of aircraft, aluminium-magnesium-lithium alloys in the range 1.3-6.3 mm thick.[30]

References

  1. 1 2 Thomas, Tanya (2020-04-14). "Hindalco closes $2.8-billion acquisition of US-based Aleris Corp". Livemint. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Suttell, Scott (July 13, 2015). "Aleris Inc. names new CEO". Crain's Cleveland Business. Crain Communications. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Barman, Arijit; Gaur, Vatsala (October 16, 2017). "Hindalco weighing bid to acquire Aleris Corp of US". The Economic Times. OCLC 61311680. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pledger, Marcia (February 9, 2015). "Reinvention: How Beachwood-based Aleris went from bankruptcy to expanding worldwide". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Pooley, Cat Rutter (November 13, 2017). "Chinese aluminium entrepreneur abandons $2.3bn attempt to buy Aleris". Financial Times. ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Aleris to buy aluminum producer". Crain's Cleveland Business. July 5, 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Aleris completes purchase of Corus aluminum business". Reliable Plant.
  8. 1 2 "Aleris Buys Aluminium Assets from Corus". The New York Times. May 24, 2006. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  9. ↑ Bentayou, Frank (August 5, 2009). "Aluminum recycler Aleris International Inc. to pay $4.6 million EPA fine". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Update 1-Aleris reorganization plan confirmed by court". Reuters. May 13, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  11. ↑ Schoenberger, Robert (March 15, 2013). "Aleris International opens new aluminum mill in Belgium". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  12. ↑ Berry, Lucy (April 1, 2014). "Aleris purchases Nichols Aluminum, which operates Decatur plant, for $110 million cash". The Birmingham News. Advance Publications. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  13. ↑ DeWitt, Jennifer (February 10, 2014). "Aleris to acquire Nichols Aluminum from Quanex". Quad-City Times. Lee Enterprises. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  14. ↑ Berry, Lucy (October 15, 2014). "Aleris International announces Nichols Aluminum plant closure, 95 job cuts in Decatur". The Birmingham News. Advance Publications. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Update 1-Private equity-backed aluminum processor Aleris scraps IPO plan". Reuters. February 5, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  16. ↑ Cohen, Luc (March 17, 2015). "Aleris may expand capacity in Europe for aluminum sheet for autos". Reuters. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  17. ↑ Irwin, Jim (November 22, 2017). "Aleris Launches Kentucky Aluminum Body Sheet Plant". Ward's Auto. Ward's. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  18. ↑ Miller, John W.; Patterson, Scott (August 29, 2016). "Zhongwang's U.S. Business to Buy Aluminum Company Aleris". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. OCLC 781541372. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  19. ↑ Flannery, Russell (November 13, 2017). "China Billionaire, Aleris Abandon Merger Plan, Citing U.S. Regulatory Uncertainty". Forbes. ISSN 0015-6914. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  20. ↑ Yong, Wu; ZhengXin (November 13, 2017). "Zhongwang USA announces termination of proposed $2.3 billion acquisition of Aleris Corp". China Daily. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  21. ↑ Ng, Eric (November 14, 2017). "Aluminium giant China Zhongwang frustrated by US delays calls off Aleris acquisition". South China Morning Post. Alibaba Group. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  22. ↑ Chaki, Deborshi (January 18, 2018). "Hindalco's Aleris acquisition bid may face competition from Vedanta". Mint. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Aleris expands supply agreement with Bombardier". Crain's Cleveland Business. October 31, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Brief-Aleris Announces Contract with Boeing to Supply Aluminum". Reuters. May 3, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Aleris". Fortune. ISSN 0015-8259. Archived from the original on May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Airbus honours its top-performing suppliers". Airbus. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  27. ↑ Placzankis, Brian E. (September 2009). General Corrosion Resistance Comparisons of Medium- and High-Strength Aluminum Alloys for DOD Systems Using Laboratory-Based Accelerated Corrosion Methods (Report). U.S. Army Research Laboratory. DTIC ADA516812; ARL-TR-4937. Retrieved 11 August 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  28. ↑ Placzankis, Brian E.; Hilgeman, Amy L. (August 2008). Long-Term Accelerated Corrosion and Adhesion Assessment of CARC Prepared Aluminum Alloy 5059-H131 Using Three Different Surface Preparation Methods (Report). Army Research Laboratory. DTIC ADA486670; ARL-TR-457. Retrieved August 12, 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  29. ↑ Showalter, Dwight D.; Placzankis, Brian E.; Burkins, Matthew S. (May 2008). Ballistic Performance Testing of Aluminum Alloy 5059-H131 and 5059-H136 for Armor Applications (Report). Army Research Laboratory. DTIC ADA481408; ARL-TR-4427. Retrieved August 12, 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  30. ↑ "Method for the manufacturing of an aluminium-magnesium-lithium alloy product". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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